Fruit-picker.



PATENTED MAY 2 1, 1907;

M. B. FIELDS, J3. FRUIT PIGKBR. uruommn rum) 1111.11.19.

MADISON B. FIELDS, JR, OF PARIS, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed June 11, 1906. Serial No. 321,256.

To (ti/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MADISON BENJAMIN FIELDS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 121 Austin street, in the city of Paris, county of Edgar, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fruit- Bicker, of which the following is a specifica tron.

This invention relates to the process of picking fruits of different sizes from trees of different heights, and has for its object to render the process more expeditious and to protect the fruit from bruises.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit-pickers, in which a knife on the inner edge of the upper side of the movable jaw of a bottomless, galvanized iron box, operates in conjunction with an iron slide rod attached to the box and to the wooden handle of the box; the movable jaw turns on an axis, and the box opens or closes as the slide rod is raised or lowered; the box has a canvas chute attached to its lower edges.

I attain this object by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of .my fruit-picker without the lower sections of the handle and the slide rod. The dotted lines showing the cutting mechanism in operative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lower sections of the handle, the slide rod and the neck strap. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the cutting mechanism in closed position. Fig. 4 is a plan view. The parts being in the same position as shown in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals and letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Reference numeral 1 designates a bottomless galvanized iron box, which is formed of two similar jaws A and B. B being movable with respect to A; 3 designates the wooden handle, which fits into an eye designated by 2, said eye being secured to the back of A by solder.

Across the opposite lower sides of B are bars 4, 4 which are soldered toB, and are pivoted to A by bolt, washer and nut at points D, D, forming an axis on which the bars 4, 4 turn to allow the movable jaw B of the box, to be raised or lowered by means of the slide rod 6; these bars, which extend outside of, and beyond. A even with the handle, are riveted to diagonal bars at E.

The diagonal bars 5, 5 on opposite sides of box 1 are securely fastened to the upper part 1 of B with solder, and with a rivet at point- I, and soldered to horizontal bars, 4, 4 these diagonal bars extend rearwardly of A, and are riveted to the horizontal bars at E, and extend a very short distance rearwardly of the wooden handle.

M designates the haft of the slide rod 6, and is attached to the slide rod by bolts and nuts at points N and N; the slide rod passes through guide rings at O and O, which hold the slide rod straight; R and R represent the curved forks of slide rod 6; R and R hook through holes F, of the diagonal bars 5, 5 and are kept from slipping back through F by means of threads on the end of the forks and nut G; the lower end of the upper section of the slide rod is threaded, and screws into the square tap U, and the upper end of the lower section is threaded and screws into U, forming the handle of the slide rod.

The top of jaw, B of the box, has on its inner edge a sharp knife K, and as the slide rod is lowered B moves toward A and knife K slips into the groove L formed in the upper edge of A when the aw is closed.

S designates the canvas chute, which is secured to the lower edge of the box by means of small hooks on each side of the box at 2, z, z, z, hooking into the eyelets in the canvas chute, thereby fastening the chute to the box. The chute and pouch is formed of one piece of canvas; the pouch is that part of the chute extending down the seam of the chute a short distance underneath the center of the front face. of the movable jaw B, and into this pouch the fruit drops when the stem is out, then slides down the chute, which may be attached, by means of the snaps on the lower end of the chute, to the mouth of a sack worn by the operator; the lower end of the chute may be turned up, leaving a sag of about twelve inches, to keep the fruit from being bruised.

The wooden handle is made in sections, joined by a ring of metal or ferrule 7. The lower section of handle is made adjustable to the upper section and can be slipped in or out of the ferrule. The lower section of the wooden handle is made in different lengths, and can be changed as the height of the tree necessitates. A thumb screw may be used in the ferrule or metal ring to make the wooden handle taut. In the end of the handle is a set ring designated by W, through which passes a neck strap of leather designated by Q.

The operation of a fruit-picker, construct- IIO ed as above described, is as follows: The neck strap Q is placed under the arm and over the shoulder of the operator; the canvas chute may be fastened by snaps to the mouth of a sack attached to the body of the operator; the fruitpicker is raised to position near the fruit by means of the wooden handle; by pushing the haft M of the slide rod upward, the movable jaw B of the box opens downward and outward to receive the fruit, and by pulling down on M, B closes,

while the knife K presses the stem of the fruit toward the groove L in A, the stationary jaw of 1, thereby cutting the stem; the fruit drops into the pouch T, then slides down S and into the sack without being bruised.

I claim:

1.. The combination, in a fruit-picker of a bottomless galvanized iron box, divided. vertically to form two similar jaws, one jaw being movable with respect to the other, and horizontal and diagonal bars attached to the jaws of the bottomless box; the knife on the inner edge of the upper side of the movable jaw of the box; the groove in the edge of the upper side of the stationary aw, into which the knife fits when the box is closed; the small hooks on the lower edge of the box; the slide rod consisting of a haft, a sectional handle, and two curved forks, the ends of which pass through the diagonal bars and are threaded; the wooden handle and the two guide rings in said handle through which the slide rod moves; the eye soldered to the back of the box through which the wooden handle passes the canvas chute; the pouch on the side of the chute underneath the movablev jaw; the chute having eyelets through which the inner edge of the upper side of the movable jaw; the groove in the inner edge of the upper side of the stationary aw; the handle eye on the back of the stationary jaw; the diagonal bars; the slide rod, which passes through the diagonal bars; the horizontal bars attached to the movable jaw and pivoted to the stationary jaw; the hooks on the lower edge of the box; and the canvas chute attached to said hooks, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the bottomless box divided vertically to form two similar jaws which are hinged together with the canvas chute having an enlargement forming a pouch and the eyelets and snaps by which the chute is attached to the lower edges of the jaws of the bottomless box, all as substantially set forth. In testnnony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MADISON B. FIELDS, JR.

Witnesses A. Y. TROGDON, IDA TROGDON. 

